BP Must be Held Accountable

Dolphins in one heavily oiled section of the Louisiana coast are suffering and even dying from a variety of symptoms–including anemia, low blood sugar, and lung disease–that suggest exposure to oil.

But media reports indicate that BP might be attempting to negotiate an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay less than half of what the company could face at trial for its violations of the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act.

Speak up for Dolphins

The Department of Justice and BP have been in intense negotiations and could announce an agreement at any time.

The Obama administration’s lawsuit asks that the companies be held liable without limitation under the Oil Pollution Act for all removal costs and damages caused by the oil spill, including damages to natural resources. The lawsuit also seeks civil penalties under the Clean Water Act.

“We intend to prove these violations caused or contributed to the massive oil spill,” Attorney General Eric Holder told a news conference.

The amount of damages and the extent of injuries sustained by the United States as a result of the Deepwater Horizon Spill are not yet fully known, the lawsuit states.

John Kostyack, Executive Director for Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming with the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

We’re pleased to see the federal government moving forward against BP and other parties responsible for the Gulf oil disaster. Repairing the damage done to people, wildlife and coastal habitats is a massive undertaking and recovery of Clean Water Act penalties will be a key part of the solution.

To learn more about the National Wildlife Federation’s response to the Gulf oil disaster, visit NWF.org/OilSpill.

The Justice Department estimates it can save $573,000 through fiscal 2010 by setting up its printers and copiers to use both sides of the paper. By emailing some documents instead of printing them out, the Department of Homeland Security will save $318,000.

Both Homeland Security and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have pledged to take the same step that has sent the newspaper industry into a tailspin: They will start getting their news online free, rather than renew their subscriptions. Homeland Security will save $47,160, or 0.0000026% of the deficit. […]

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is going to save $3.8 million by refurbishing and reusing or selling its emergency trailers — like the ones provided to people displaced by hurricanes — instead of ditching them.

The Wall Street Journal article focused exclusively on the financial savings. But eliminating the need for nearly $1 million worth of paper products and keeping dozens of trailers out of a landfill? Sounds pretty green to me.